The U.S. military’s updated counterinsurgency manual acknowledges today’s soldiers must often serve as “nation builders as well as warriors.” The doctrine offers lessons drawn from those stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq, but critics argue its tenets are too soft.

NATO leaders pitted the credibility of their alliance to the ongoing effort to stabilize Afghanistan at their summit in Riga, but failed to resolve disputes that keep some major member states—including Germany, Italy, Spain, and France—from serious combat duty there.

Recruiting operatives capable of infiltrating terrorist networks presents an ongoing challenge to U.S. intelligence agencies. A new book by a former double agent who spied on al-Qaeda tells the story of how he did it.

Pakistan faces growing charges that its intelligence service, the ISI, is supporting a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan as well as terror attacks elsewhere. President Musharraf has dismissed the charges, although he has suggested there may be some unsanctioned Pakistani backing for the Taliban.

Five years after the U.S. invasion, parts of southern Afghanistan have descended into chaos, as the Taliban reclaim territories and try to win over ethnic Pashtun sympathies. The rest of the country also requires more attention and aid, experts say.

2015 Annual Report

Learn more about CFR’s mission and its work over the past year in the 2015 Annual Report. The Annual Report spotlights new initiatives, high-profile events, and authoritative scholarship from CFR experts, and includes a message from CFR President Richard N. Haass.Read and download »